Reversible costume armature



Dec. 26, 1967 J. M. RODGERS 3,359,570

REVERSIBLE COSTUME ARMATURE Filed Oct. 25, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Jufvc /`7. P0066@ Dec. 26, 1967 J. M. RODGERS REVERSIBLE COSTUME ARMATURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 25, 1965 Nmmmmllll INVENTOR.

JUNE /Z 19006695 United States Patent O 3,359,570 REVERSIBLE COSTUME ARMATURE June M. Rodgers, 119--40 178th St., St. Albans, N.Y. 11434 Filed Oct. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 503,816 9 Claims. (Cl. 2-206) My invention relates generally to armatures for supporting costumes and other articles of theatrical apparel on dolls, puppets and the like, and more particularly, to an adjustable armature structure adapted to support an article having reversible sections presenting different designs, only one of which is displayed in a selected operative position of the armature.

In puppet shows, small figures on a miniature stage are manipulated by an unseen operator. A distinction is sometimes drawn between marionettes moved by strings from above and puppets, in which the hands of the operator are concealed in the costume of the doll. The dolls used in such shows are dressed in costumes appropri ate to their roles, and it is also the practice to provide masks for altering the facial appearance of the doll.

One of the practical problems involved in a puppet show is to effect a change in the appearance of the doll without disturbing the continuity of the performance. With conventional costume arrangements, this is not possible, for the time necessary to remove one costume `and to apply another or to change masks, militates against a quick change.

Accordingly, it is the main object of the invention to provide an armature which is attachable to a doll, and which is adapted to effect a quick change in dress design.

`More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide an adjustable armature which is adapted to support an article having reversible sections presenting different designs, the armature having a first operative position in which one costume design is displayed and the other concealed, and a second operative position in which the relationship of the designs is reversed.

Also an object of the invention is to provide an armaj ture of the above type in which a costume reversal is readily and very rapidly effected.

A significant feature of the invention resides inthe fact that the adjustable armature is adapted not only to switch over the design of skirts and other articles of apparel surrounding the body of the doll, but masks and other articles applied to the head thereof.

Briefly stated, these objects are attained in an adjustable armature and reversible costume assembly in accordance with the invention, wherein the article of costume is constituted by a main panel having iiaps hingedly connected thereto, whereby when said iiaps overlie the panel, they present a design at variance with the panel design, the armature having a main element attached to said panel and wings hingedly connected to the main element and attachably to said flaps, releasable latch means being provided to hold said wings and the tiaps attached thereto against said main panel.

For a better understanding of the invention, as well as other objects and `further features thereof, reference is made to the following detailed description to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a skirt having reversible sections, the skirt being supported on an adjustable armature in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the skirt in one operative position of the armature;

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FIG. 5 shows the head of a doll adapted to accommodate an armature and skirt assembly in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 6 shows in perspective the armature apart from the skirt, with the arms thereof outstretched;

FIG. 7 shows the same armature as in FIG. 6, with the arms held in by the latch mechanism;

FIG. 8 is a separate side view of the latch mechanism;

FIG. 9 is a detail of the hinge for one wing;

FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of the armature intended for use with a reversible mask in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 1l illustrates an overlay costume lto be used in conjunction with the assembly shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 12 is a detail of the overlay costume.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 4, there is shown a reversible skirt, generally designated by numeral 10, supported on an adjustable armature 11 in accordance with the invention. Armature 11 in the embodiment shown is ring-shaped and is adapted, as indicated in FIG. 5, to encircle the cylindrical body portion CB of a puppet doll PD, whereby the skirt depends therefrom to conceal the hand of the operator.

Skirt 10 is formed of a suitable material and is constituted by two main panels A and B of like size which t0- gether dene the tubular form of the skirt, flap sections C and D being hingedly secured to opposing junctions of the main panels. The dimensions of each flap correspond to one-half of a main panel, so that when the aps are folded over either one of the main panels, they fully conceal that panel.

The reversible skirt is provided with two distinct designs which diifer in pattern or in color, one of which is represented by cross-hatching in FIG.. 1, and the other by circles in FIG. 2. The cross-hatch design appears on main panel A and on the corresponding faces of Hap sections C and D (FIG. 1), whereas the circle design appears on main panel B and on the reverse faces of ap sections C and D (FIG. 2.). It will be seen that with the aps outstretched, one sees only the cross-hatch design on one side of the assembly, and the circle design on the other side.

However, when the tiap sections C and D are folded over panel A, as shown in FIG. 3, the circle design is then presented by the aps, and the cross-hatch design on panel A is hidden, the other side of the skirt showing the circle design of panel B. Hence the skirt in this condition presents only the circle pattern. When, however, the flaps are reversed to expose the cross-hatch design on panel A, the flapsv which then overlie panel B present the same cross-hatch pattern, and the resultant skirt presents only the cross-hatch pattern.

It will be evident, therefore, that the appearance of the skirt depends on whether the flaps overlie panel A or panel B. The function of adjustable armature 11 is to etfecta quick change in the position of the flaps so that the appearance of the skirt may be rapidly switched-over. The armature 11, as shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, is constituted by a strip 12 of flat spring metal or plastic material, one end of which is provided with a hole 13 and the other end with a lug 14 receivable in the hole, whereby when the lug is inserted the strip is maintained in a ring-forrn.

A pair of flexible wing members 15 and 16 also of at spring material, are hingedly connected to diametrically opposed points on the armature ring. As shown separately in FIG. 9, this connection is made by means of tabs 12A and 12B which are attached to the -upper and lower edges of the strip 12, the tabs supporting a pivot pin 17 from which the related wing member projects. The wings are each biased to fold against the rear portion of the armature ring, this being accomplished by a helical spring wound about the upper portion of pin 17, one end of the spring being attached to the pin, the other end to strip 12.

Wings 15 and 16 have a pre-formed or natural curvature causing them to conform to the shape of the arma- .ture ring formed by strip 12 when they are swung by their pivot springs against the rear semi-circular portion of the ring. Thus the wings are normally folded back.

To fold the wings 15 and 16 forward, they are swung on their pivots and pressed against the semi-circular front portion of the armature ring. To do this, one must work against the bias of the pivot springs as well as the natural curvature of the wings. It is essential, therefore, to provide latch means to retain the wings in this position. To this end, there is provided a latch mechanism, generally designated by numeral 18.

Latch mechanism 18, as best Seen in FIG. 8, is formed by a U-shaped member 19 having a vertical portion 19a, which is attached to armature strip 12, and horizontal legs 19h and 19e extending laterally over the upper and lower edges of the armature strip. A latching pin 20 passes through holes in the legs, the upper portion of the pin being hook-shaped to provide a locking finger 21 which projects through a hole in a ledge 22 mounted on the upper leg 19C. A helical spring 23 is wound about latching pin 20 between the lower leg 19h and the head of the pin.

Thus the normal position of the latching mechanism is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, and it will be seen that the locking finger 21 extends over the strip 12 to prevent release of the wings 15 and 16. When, however, the latching pin is pushed upwardly to compress spring 23, the finger is raised to release the wings, in which event the wings automatically swing rearwardly against the other side of the armature ring.

In practice, wings 15 and 16 are received within suitable pockets in the upper portion of the skirt sections C and D, so that when the armature is latched, the wings are folded against main panel A, and when unlatched, the wings are folded against main panel B. Initially, the wings are latched in the manner shown in FIG. 3, thereby presenting the circle design. When it is desired to make a quick change, all one need do is to press the latching pin 20 to raise the locking finger, thereby releasing the wings, which then cause the flaps to overlie panel B to present the cross-hatch design.

FIG. shows another embodiment of the invention as applied to a reversible mask having a main panel 24 and two iiap sections 25 and 26, each of which has dimensions corresponding to one-half of the main panel. Hence when the flaps overlie the main panel, they act to conceal the same, the flaps presenting a different mask design.

An adjustable armature is secured to main panel 24, the armature having a crosspiece strip 27 to which a latching mechanism 2S is centrally attached, and wings 29 and 30 pivotally attached to the ends Of the crosspiece. The armature is essentially of the same construction as that shown in the previous figures, except that it is not ringhflilped, the mask being connectable to the head of the In FIGS. ll and 12, there is shown an overlay costume which may be superimposed over the assembly shown in FIG. l. By way of illustration, the overlay is designed to convert the puppet into a witch. To this end, the o-verlay is constituted by a main panel 31 and flap sections 32 and 33, the flaps having hooks 34 at the upper end thereof whereby the aps may be hooked overthe iiaps C and D on the skirt to swing therewith. Mounted on the vertical arms 35 and 36 of a wire skeleton are hands 37 and 38, the hands being connected to the extremities of the arms by springs 39 and 40, respectively. The arms 35 and 36 are interlinked by a horizontal arm 41. Connected thereto by a wire 42 through a spring mechanism 43 is a mask 44.

The arrangement is such that when the mask 44 is folded down over main panel 31, the hands 37 and 38 are retracted and folded against the main panel. This is the condition which exists when the aps 32 and 33 are folded against the main panel. But when the flaps are swung open by releasing the wings 15 and 16 of the armature, as shown in FIG. 6, the mask swings upwardly and the hands extend outwardly.

While there have been shown and described preferred embodiments of a reversible costume armature in accordance with the invention, it will be appreciated that many changes and modifications may be made therein without, however, departing from the essential spirit of the invention as defined in the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. An adjustable armature and an article of costume assembly, comprising a costume article having a main panel presenting a predetermined design and aps presenting a different design on opposite sides thereof hingedly connected thereto, said flaps each having dimensions corresponding to one-half of said main panel whereby when the flaps are folded against the main panel they together present a design at variance with that on said panel, said armature having a main piece attached to said panel and wings attached to said flaps, means hingedly connecting said wings to said main piece, means normally biasing said wings to cause said flaps to swing away from said panel, and releasable latch means to maintain said wings and said flaps folded against said main panel.

2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said article is a mask.

3. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said article is a skirt.

4. An adjustable armature and reversible skirt assembly, comprising a skirt having a main panel presenting a given design and iiap sections presenting a different design on opposite sides thereof hingedly connected thereto, said flap sections each having dimensions corresponding to one-half of said main panel, whereby when the aps are folded against the main panel they together present a design different from that 0n said panel, said armature having a main piece attached to said panel and wings attached to said sections, means hingedly connecting said wings to said main piece, means normally spring-biasing said wings to cause said aps to swing away from said panel, and releasable latch means to maintain said wings and said sections folded against said main panel to present said different design.

5. An adjustable armature and reversible skirt assembly, comprising a skirt having two main panels defining a tubular form and aps hingedly connected to the junctions of said panels, said flaps each having dimensions corresponding to one-half of either of said main panels, said main panels having different designs thereon, one side of said flaps having a design matching one of said panels and the other side having a design matching the other panel, said armature having an annular main piece attached to said panels and wings attached to said flaps, means hingedly connecting said wings to said main piece, means normally biased to cause said aps to swing away from one panel and to overlie the other, and releasable latch means to maintain said wings and said aps folded against said one panel.

6. An adjustable armature comprising a strip of spring material whose ends are connected to form a ring, a pair of wings formed of spring material hingedly connected at diametrically opposed positions on said rings, said hinge connections including means biasing said wings to overlie one semi-circular portion of said ring, and releasable latch means to hold said wings so that they overlie the other semi-circular portion of said ring.

7. An armature as set forth in claim 6, wherein said wings are naturally curved to conform to the curvature of said one semi-circular portion, said wings being flexed in a reverse curvature when latched.

8. An armature as set forth in claim 6, wherein said latch means includes a depressible pin having a hook portion secured to said ring at said other portion crooked over said ring to prevent said wings from swinging toward said one portion.

9. An adjustable armature comprising,

(a) a strip of spring metal whose ends are connected to form a ring,

(b) a pair of wings formed of spring metal and having a preformed curvature conforming to that of said ring,

(c) springebiased hinges connecting said wings to diametrically opposed positions on said ring to cause said wings to overlie one semi-circular portion of said ring, and

5 (d) releasable latch mechanism secured centrally to the other semi-circular portion of said ring to retain said wings thereagainst.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 6/1962 Canada.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. 15 H. H. HUNTER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ADJUSTABLE ARMATURE AND AN ARTICLE OF COSTUME ASSEMBLY, COMPRISING A COSTUME ARTICLE HAVING A MAIN PANEL PRESENTING A PREDETERMINED DESIGN AND FLAPS PRESENTING A DIFFERENT DESIGN ON OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF HINGEDLY CONNECTED THERETO, SAID FLAPS EACH HAVING DIMENSIONS CORRESPONDING TO ONE-HALF OF SAID MAIN PANEL WHEREBY WHEN THE FLAPS ARE FOLDED AGAINST THE MAIN PANEL THEY TOGETHER PRESENT A DESIGN AT VARIANCE WITH THAT ON SAID PANEL, SAID ARMATURE HAVING A MAIN PIECE ATTACHED 